Panilonco Camernère

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Bored with cabs? Too impatient for pinots? If you’re not into whites and won’t touch merlots thanks to Paul Giamatti’s anti-merlot outburst in Sideways, all is not lost. Next time you’re at Trader Joe’s stocking up on bargain Brie and frozen edamame, pick up a bottle of Panilonco Camernère. A [...]

Sky Flirtini

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Despite turning 21 at the height of Sex and the City’s heyday, I’ve never been one for Cosmopolitans or any of the spin-off -ini ilk. (I prefer my booze a bit more on the brown side, served over ice in sturdy tumblers—or, you know, coffee mugs.) But, having recently witnessed the [...]

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
The true test of any bartender is the martini. Exceedingly simple in theory, a good mixologist knows that just a count too much of sweet and sour, an overdose of vermouth, or an overzealous pour of gin or vodka can ruin what is actually an immensely delicate balance of flavors. A martini [...]

Honey Moon Summer Ale

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
As summer weather approaches, people begin lurking from Broadway toward the ocean to enjoy the sea breeze, oil islands, polluted water and slightly fishy air. While one might emerge as a character from Toxic Avenger after taking a dip in our oily seas, we don’t like to think of [...]

Saison

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Saison is a Belgian-style beer that is historically linked to the Wallonia region in the south of Belgium. Also known as “farmhouse ale,” saisons were first brewed many centuries ago to quench the thirsts of farmworkers during the harvest season. (In the course of the summer, some farmers would drink as much [...]

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Sure, our much-loved Portfolio Coffeehouse might have a myriad of mochas, lattes and other coffee bean-based bastions of pleasure, but what if you’re looking to get off the java train for a little while? Look no further than the Orange Delight, a refreshing treat that lives up to its . . . [...]

Captain’s Dreamscicle

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Has it really come to this? Sitting in Joe’s Crab Shack, drinking a tropical beverage and channeling Sammy Hagar on a Saturday afternoon? Yes. Yes it has. Actually, Cabo Wabo ambiance aside, the outside patio at this joint is a little afternoon treasure with one of the best views of the [...]

Jack and Coke

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Jack and Coke: It’s a tasty kick in the face as distinctively American as apple pie—or, perhaps, Johnny Cash and bartenders who have little tolerance for girly drinks ending in “-tini” (other than a straight-up martini). And there’s no better place to get reacquainted with Mr. Daniel and his 80-proof [...]

India Pale Ales

PHOTO by RUSS ROCA
Humulus Lupulus, or hops, are vine-grown flowers that give beer its bitter and often pungent aromatic qualities. Used for hundreds of years to balance beer’s malty sweetness, hops also have the benefit of acting as a natural preservative, as realized by the English in the 18th century: To prevent their [...]

Gobstopper Martini

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
With spring officially here, we’re all looking for an excuse to sit in the sun and enjoy an afternoon cocktail. Tired of staying out till last call and seeing the same people in a dimly lit room? Venture over to the Yard House during happy hour, where I recently sat down [...]